Counselling in Ottawa & Beyond: Mental Health Matters in the COVID-19 Era

While a global pandemic has captured the headlines and much of our top-of-mind real estate over the past several months, that doesn’t mean that other life challenges have somehow gone away.

In fact, in the case of mental health, the COVID-19 “coronavirus” pandemic has caused a domino effect when it comes to issues such as depression, anxiety and much more.

These impactful and potentially life-altering mental health disorders are perhaps more important now than ever, as the COVID-19 pandemic wears on and takes its toll on many aspects of our lives.

If you suffer from mental health disorders or emotional issues, you don’t have to go through it alone. Help is available in the form of counselling in Ottawa – and beyond.

In this edition of the Capital Choice Counselling blog we’ll explore the added value of counselling and therapy as a countermeasure for mental health issue such as depression, anxiety, OCD, bipolar disorder and many other conditions.

The “Old Normal” – Mental Health & Counselling Before COVID-19

Before COVID-19 reared its ugly head in early 2020, life was challenging enough as it was.

Granted, we now look on those seemingly innocent times with longing adoration and a distant envy.

But things weren’t all rosy.

Mental health issues were increasing in both awareness and prevalence within our society. While treatment options and acceptance became more common and accessible, the sad reality was that disorders such as depression, anxiety and many others were disrupting the lives of millions of people worldwide.

As a network of qualified mental health professionals practicing therapy and counselling in Ottawa and surrounding communities, we had been making great strides with treatment of mental health disorders and emotional conditions.

People came to their Ottawa counselling & therapy sessions in person, meeting with a qualified therapist or counsellor in Ottawa to diagnose mental health conditions, formulate a plan of treatment and work through these issues using a variety of time-tested methods.

Much like life in the pre-COVID era itself, it’s not that therapy or counselling in Ottawa was perfect – there has never been a “cure” for mental health disorders such as depression or anxiety – but we were able to make progress and help people live a healthier, more productive life.

Then COVID-19 hit.

And seemingly, everything else took a back seat.

But… did it???

The “New Normal” (We Hate That Term as Much As You Do) – Does Ottawa Counselling Have to Take a Back Seat?

Of course, we know logically, that, although integral parts of society may have come to a standstill thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, the realities of our lives kept on going.

In fact, if anything, those realities have only intensified.

Our futures were suddenly thrown into a high degree of doubt and uncertainty.

Our present, meanwhile, is now occupied with the day-to-day realities of a dual threat: COVID-19 and economic collapse.

This threat had practically everyone in Ottawa, across Canada and around the world asking two essential questions:

• How do I keep myself and my family healthy and avoid COVID-19?
• How do I keep paying the bills and protect myself and my family from economic disaster?

 

As you can know too well, these questions – and these threats – are very real and very stressful.

Unlike a one-time event, where the adrenaline of a “fight or flight” response kicks in and we get through and past the event (somehow, some way), this global pandemic is ongoing.

The stress and worries, therefore, are ongoing and won’t seem to go away for quite some time.

Making matters worse, the doubt and stress are, if anything, only becoming more severe.

We are told that COVID-19 will not have a vaccine that is widely available and wholly effective for quite some time to come.

That pushes out both our health worries and our economic worries several months or even years into the future.

Human beings weren’t necessarily wired to deal with this degree and duration of doubt and worry. We were cavemen back in the day, after all, and our worries were more on eating and not being eaten.

Cavemen didn’t have counselling, of course.

They didn’t need it.

The complexities of human life in 2020 and beyond, however, should not have pushed mental health issues to a backseat priority.

Quite the opposite.

Given all the stress, doubt and worry we face going forward in the COVID-19 (and post-COVID-19) era, there is perhaps no better place to turn than to counselling in Ottawa – and beyond.

How Capital Choice Helps with Ottawa Counselling AND Online Counselling

A leader in Ottawa counselling and therapy for decades, Capital Choice Counselling in Ottawa is a network of highly qualified, experienced and compassionate counsellors, therapists and registered social workers.

Our traditional means of counselling in Ottawa has been in-person.

That, however, was before COVID-19.

We understand the realities of the COVID era and have adapted fluidly to help our clientele get the treatment they need for depression, anxiety, addiction, couple’s counselling and much more.

As such, we have moved much of our Ottawa counselling practice to an online counselling or remote counselling format.

Our network of counsellors are Ottawa-based but can now offer counselling or therapy to people across Canada. Licensed in Ontario and living here in the community, our Ottawa counsellors serve the needs of clientele to provide help for mental health matters via Skype, FaceTime, phone and more.

As we have seen firsthand, mental health issues such as depression, anxiety or other disorders have not gone away with the onset of COVID-19 – no, in fact, they have worsened and become more intense.

One doesn’t have to struggle alone or be “brave” (in the traditional, stoic sense of the word) in the face of mental health adversity.

Seeking help is a sign of strength.

If you suffered from mental health issues prior to the global COVID-19 pandemic, how are you feeling now?

If the answer is “the same” or “worse” (which it is for most people) we are here to help.

Even if you weren’t dealing with mental or emotional health issues prior to the pandemic onset, you may find yourself in a situation now where it all seems too overwhelming.

Don’t give up hope.

Help is available.

Contact us today to find out more and to book your first appointment with counselling in Ottawa – either in person (distanced, of course) or online / remote counselling.